Telephone - Research Article from Encyclopedia of Science, Technology, and Ethics

Telephone

Telephone technology allows a person to talk to nearly anyone in any place who has similar equipment. There are substantial ethical questions related to the uses and abuses of the telephone. Among other things, the telephone is a communication system that provides political leaders, pollsters, and social science researchers with some understanding of public attitudes and behaviors. It gives voice to the needs and wishes of citizens as they attempt to make their views known to governments and corporations. Additionally, the telephone is a conduit for the delivery of professional services. As a result of these aspects of what has been an everyday but rapidly changing technology, considerable attention has been devoted to the telephone from ethical, legal, and policy viewpoints.

Historical Development

The term telephone is based on the combination of the Greek words, tele ("distant" or "afar") and phon ("sound" or "voice"); it was first used...